Car-coupling



on COUPLING.

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(N9 Model.)

WITNESSES 21427 /f/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK O. BARKER, OF COLUMBUS, AND GEORGE V. S. AUSTIN, OF KENTON, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 553,224, dated January21, I896.

Application filed oct ober 9, 1895. Serial No- 565,l95. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that we, FRANK O. BARKER, residing at Oolumb us, in 1 hecounty of Franklin, and GEORGE V. S. AUSTIN, residing at Kenton, in thecounty of Hardin, State of Ohio, citizens of the United States, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Car Couplers and Uncouplers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in automatic car couplers anduncouplers, by which the manipulation of coupling and uncoupling carsmay be so controlled that the dangers to life and limbs and to thedestruction of property may be reduced to a minimum.

Besides providing a modified and improved method of automaticallycoupling cars, it is further designed to provide means by which in thecommon event of a draw-head breaking loose from its anchorage the twocars at that point will automatically uncouple before the loosedraw-head has been drawn from its guides and prevent it from falling tothe track. It is a matter of common observation and experience that inaccidents of this kind where couplers of this general type are used thedraw-head after breaking loose and drawing out of the guide-timbersfalls to the track and, because of its large size, breaks all of thebrake-beams which pass over it, or causes the derailment of cars,resulting in a destructive wreck.

The mechanism with which we accomplish the results thus far andhereinafter described is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2, an elevation; Fig. 3, ahorizontal section on the line y y, and Fig. 4 a vertical cross-sectionon the line .2 e of Fig. 1 and the line 00 0c of Fig. 2. In this Viewthe dog t is shown in elevation, although it is in the sectional plane.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The letter a refers to a car-coupler which in general form andconstruction will be of the type illustrated, the profile of the outerend of which will conform to the lines adopted by the MasterOar-Builders, and includes as essential features the draw-bar bterminating in the head 0 in which is pivoted the jaw (Z by means of thepin e passing through the hub of the jaw cl and the bosses f of the head0.

The jaw d comprises the bosses g and the arm 71, both integral with thehub 70, and in the coupled position the arm h engages with the pin Z,which has the projecting tooth m 011 its back which engages with the cam01, which is pivoted on the rod 0, one end of which terminates in abrake-handle at the side of the car, while the other end 17 is reducedin diameter back to the point where it passes through the cam 01, atwhich point it is made square to engage in a square hole in said cam 77.and converts into a collar at the junction of the square portion withthe end of larger diameter. The end 1) of the rod oafter passing throughthe cam 12 continues through the neck of the draw-bar and is held inposition by the key (1. The pin Z and cam n are protected from theinterference of snow and ice by the cap 1', the back end of which isopen for the passage of the trip-chain s, which is attached to the upperend of the cam n and passes through the opening 3 to the eyebolt s.

In the process of uncoupling the rod 0 is rotated until the cam '21. haselevated the pinZ to a point where its shoulder t will clear the end ofthe arm h, at which point the jaw (Z will rotate and release. When thepin Z has been thus elevated to the position for uncoupling it is heldin the elevated position by the dog t, which is actuated by the spring2, the end of which engages in the notch u in the side of the pin Z. Theobject in holding the pin Z in an elevated position while uncoupled isto overcome the necessity of striking the cars together violently incoupling to overcome the friction of elevating the pin I through a longtravel, as is the case in many couplers of this class. When the arm histhrown back in the act of coupling the beveled surface a will strike thebeveled surface 12 of the shoulder 25 and elevate the pin Z sufficientlyto release the dog If and at the same time the back of the arm Itstrikes the dog 25 and throws it back out of the notch u and allows thepin Z to drop and lock.

On the upper side of the lower boss f and cast integral with it is theinclined surface 1) attenuating toward the point w and concentric withthe pin 6. The hub 7cof the jaw (Z is shorter than the distance betweenthe two bosses f, permitting it to travel up and down on the pin 6 asthe arm h rides up and down on the inclined surface 1;.

The function of the inclined surface 'v is to throw the jaw (Z open bygravity as soon as uncoupled and cause it to assume the positionindicated by the dotted lines, thus avoiding the necessity of goingbetween cars to hold the jaw cZ open, as is frequently necessary when acar is standing on a curve where the incline of the track causes thecarto lean to one side and the jaw to swing to nearly a closed position byits own gravity.

The process of uncoupling automatically in case of the accidentalbreaking of the anchorage of the draw-bar is accomplished by the chain1', which is provided with sufficient slack so as not to interfere withthe usual service coupling and uncoupling, but which slack is taken upas soon as a broken drawhead has been drawn a few inches from itsanchorage, at which point the chain r throws the cam 91. and uncouplesthe head and holds the draw-bar from being drawn out of itsguide-timbers and falling to the track to cause awreck or other damage.

The foregoing sections of this specification are intended to fully coverthe technical construction and operation of our invention, and thepoints claimed therein, and which we wish protected by Letters Patent,are as follows:

1. In a car coupler of substantially the form shown, the combination ofthe draw-bar b terminating in the head 0, forming a part of which arethe bosses f, in which is pivoted by means of the pin 6 the jaw (Z,having the hub 70, bosses g, arm h, and the beveled surface u, thebeveled surface 1;, the locking pin Z having the tooth m, shoulder 25,beveled surface 1;, and the notch u, in which engages the pivoted dog Zactuated by the spring 2', the lock operating rod 0 operating the cam17., the trip chain 7', the eye bolt 8, the slot .9, and the casing r,substantially as shown and specified.

2. In a car coupler of substantially the form shown, the combination ofthe draw-bar b terminating in the head 0, having the bosses f in whichis pivoted the jaw cZ, having the bosses 9, arm 72-, and the beveledsurface it, the beveled surface o, the locking pin Z, having the toothm, shoulder t, and notch u, in which engages the pivoted dog If ,thelock operating rod 0 operating the cam '72, the chain r, the eye bolt 3,slot .9, and easing 1', substantially as shown for purposes stated.

3. In a car coupler of substantially the form shown, the combination ofthe draw bar I) terminating in the head 0 in which is pivoted the jawCZ-,1311G beveled surface 2;, the locking pin Z having the tooth m, theshoulder 25, beveled surfacer, and the notch a the pivoted dog 25,engaging therein, the lock operating rod 0 operating the cam n, the tripchain 1-, and the eye bolt 8', substantially as set forth.

4:. In a car coupler of substantially the form shown the combination ofthe jaw (Z, the locking pin Z having the tooth m, the shoulder t, thebeveled surface o,and the notch u in which engages the pivoted dog 25,the lock operating rod 0 operating the cam 12., and the trip chain 7",substantially as shown for purposes stated.

5. In a car coupler of substantially the form shown, the combination ofthe locking pin Z having the tooth m, the shoulder 2., the beveledsurface o, and the notch u, in which engages the pivoted dog 25 actuatedby the spring 2, the lock operating rod 0 operating the cam n, and thetrip chain 0*, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a car coupler of substantially the form shown, the combination ofthe locking pin Z having the tooth m, the shoulder t, and the beveledsurface 1), the lock operating bar 0 operating the cam n, the trip chain0", and the eye bolt 3, substantially as shown and described.

FRANK O. BARKER. GEORGE IV. S. AUSTIN.

lVitnesses GEO. M. NICHOLS, M. F. OAPRoN.

